Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Dreams are a funny thing. We all have them, these untenable aspirations that keep us going through the sludge of life. Some of want riches, or power, or glory. Janelle Monáe, a brilliant singer, dancer, songwriter, actress, and producer, has always seemingly wanted to be…an android.
Well, at least, that was the vibe that music fans got from Monáe’s groundbreaking “suite” of albums. Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase), The ArchAndroid, and Electric Lady positioned Monáe as an alter-ego called Cindy Mayweather, a messianic android. Monáe was extremely fond of her android persona, and went so far as to explain in an interview that she only dated other “androids.” Well, the years have passed, Monáe has become a major star, and now she finally gets to play an android on TV.
Monáe plays Alexis in the “Autofac” episode of Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams. Alexis is more than an android, however. She is kind of the “living” embodiment of the consumer service chat bot that pops up on many online marketplaces. The character is a nod to how our reliance on AI is starting to get out of control. We won’t spoil whether or not Monáe’s character is good or bad, “alive” or “un-alive,” but we will confirm that it’s pretty cool to see the pop star finally get to live out her dreams of playing a bonafide android.
